Especially in 2020, having a social media presence is more important than ever! But what platforms should you be focusing your efforts on? Should you post to Instagram? What can you expect from building your presence on the platform? Is your target audience even on Instagram?

What Types of Businesses Perform Well on Instagram?

The businesses that perform well on IG are those who have an aesthetic angle to them. Real Estate Companies with beautiful houses, makeup brands, pet brands and clothing brands all have a huge amount of potential on Instagram because people enjoy looking at the things these brands offer.

Instagram is primarily a visual platform. It was first created for sharing pictures and beautiful photography.  Keep this in mind. No matter what you offer, it must look high-quality and appealing. Don’t even think of posting blurry pictures.

If you’re in the plumbing industry, you may want to focus on your Facebook page and search optimization first (although there’s plenty of plumbers on Instagram who are doing rather well). If you’re a lawyer looking to build a clientele, definitely focus on search optimization and PPC marketing first before looking at Instagram.  Many lawyers with large IG following are also lifestyle influencers. So, focus your client-finding efforts by being where your clients go to look for lawyers: search.

Now, if you’re in one of these professions that’s probably not going to get the bulk of their clientele from Instagram, branching out to Instagram is just fine after you have your search engine optimization squared away.

What Is the Purpose of Instagram?

Instagram is about building a community, a fanbase if you will, that cares about your brand because they know what you stand for.  Instagram is not just for spamming people with salesy messages (hint, you can get action-blocked and/ or shadowbanned by doing things Instagram considers “spammy”). This is a platform for building a bond with your audience so that when you do have a cta or an offer, people will show up in droves to buy your product or sign up for your newsletter.

The Cold, Hard Numbers

When considering whether or not you should be on Instagram, consider these statistics:

• 72% of 13-17 year-olds are on IG
• 67% of 18-29 year-olds are also on IG
• 47% of 30-49 year-olds are on it.
• 23% of 50-64 year-olds are on IG
• And 8% of the 65 and older demographic can be found here.

The platform is comprised of slightly more female than male users. It’s also comprised of mostly urban and suburban users, with rural residents making up only 21% of users.

Another statistic to consider: 40% of the platform’s users make more than 75K per year.

So, should you be on Instagram? I’ll let you decide for yourself.  If you decide that Instagram is the platform for you, but aren’t sure where to start, check out my strategy sessions where I guide you through setting up a profile that converts and give you a gameplan that sets you up for success.